The Price of Equality
by MortyTheGobbo
Summary: This story details the rise of the Equalist Revolution. It shows the social tensions that gave rise to such violent extremism. It closes in on the lives of those who led the revolution, as well as the rank-and-file. We see most of it from Hiroshi Sato's eyes as he tries to balance his life as a father, CEO and political figure with his less than legal activities.
1. Chapter 1

The Republic City prison was an imposing, intimidating building. Its looks fit its purpose as the main correctional facility in one of the world's biggest cities – that also had to deal with all three types of bending. The walls were patrolled by guards at all times. The building used metal and wood in its construction as much as it could, so that earthbenders couldn't just stroll out of it. Firebenders and waterbenders were less easily contained, and so the prison had the air of constant vigilance. At least they did not have airbenders to deal with.

On a cold spring afternoon, a lone man approached the imposing building on foot. Civilian traffic was restricted in the immediate vicinity of the prison. The man was of average height but heavy-set. His skin was pale and his black hair was showing silver streaks. He wore modest, but obviously expensive and well-made clothing as well as a pair of glasses. The few people around the building recognized him, and some of them turned around to look at him.

"Mr. Sato," said one of the guards at the entrance. Her tone was uncertain.

"Good morning," said Hiroshi Sato. He produced a sheet of paper from a satchel he was holding and showed it to the policewoman. "I am here to pay the bail for Xu Tang."

The guard hesitated, but took the paper and examined it. She looked it over a few times, but couldn't find anything out of order.

"Open the door," she said into her radio. The heavy metal door on the side of the prison gate swung open.

"You're doing good work, Mr. Sato," said the other guard, who had been silent until that point. His companion silenced him with a withering glare, but Hiroshi allowed himself a small smile as he stepped into the cold, uninviting interior of the prison complex.

The administrative wing of the prison was located some distance from the cell blocks, and as such was silent. Hiroshi's steps echoed through the corridors and he only passed by a guard every once in a while. None of them stopped him. He exuded the air of a man who had every right to be there.

The silence was broken when he ascended the stairs to the prison warden's office, however. He heard raised voices coming from the floor above him. One of them sounded like it belonged to Lin Beifong, the chief of police. The other he couldn't recognize. One way or the other, it appeared the formalities he was there to attend to might not go as smoothly as he thought. That, at least, was not his problem.

He strode into the office with confidence, and saw more people there than he'd expected. One was the prison warden, sitting behind the desk with the countenance of a man who was not paid enough for any of this. The other was indeed Lin Beifong. The third occupant of the room was a short, curvy young woman with pale skin and short, black hair tied into a bun. She was dressed in a sharp dark blue suit and held a notepad. After seeing her, Hiroshi thought he did recognize her – a journalist from one of the nation's largest newspapers.

"That's a larger welcoming committee than I expected," he said in a conversational tone upon entering. He knew it would aggravate Lin Beifong, and he wasn't disappointed.

"Mister Sato," said the reporter before the Chief could get a word in. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Nari, from _United Republic Courier_."

"Charmed," Hiroshi responded. His tone was cold and his eyes narrowed upon hearing the name of the newspaper.

"You've made yourself a figurehead in the national debate around non-bending weapons. Your visit here is another step in that direction. How much of it is a political statement?" Nari asked, getting straight to the point.

"I am here to help an employee of mine who got on the wrong side of the law I'd frequently protested." Hiroshi's answer was slow and deliberate.

"And sending a message that if Hiroshi Sato doesn't like the law you broke, you needn't worry," Lin Beifong interjected. "Because he'll come to bail you out."

Hiroshi glanced at her. Why had she even allowed the reporter into the office? He felt like he had a good guess about that.

"That's a fair point, Mr. Sato Does your presence here mean you'll be taking steps to bail out other Future Industries employees, should they use the illegal weaponry against someone? Or only against benders?"

"I don't want to get ahead of myself and make promises," the man responded curtly.

"A bit too late for that," came another interjection from Beifong. Nari's expression changed almost imperceptibly. Hiroshi could swear she forced herself not to roll her eyes.

"You are, in a way, setting a precedent," she pointed out.

"I'm doing what I think is right in this situation, Miss Nari," Hiroshi said, trying to keep his voice level. "I will let people judge it as they see fit."

"Hopefully most of them will judge it for what it is." Chief Beifong seemed determined to make her feelings on the subject known.

"Nonetheless, your statement seems clear. You consider your inventions and the non-benders' right to use them a higher priority than the United Republic's cultural heritage."

There was a moment of silence as Hiroshi struggled not to voice the first few responses that came to his mind.

"I do, indeed, place practical concerns of self-defence over abstract and subjective ideas," he finally said.

Nari looked up from her notepad, judging his intentions. She must have decided that the interview was over, because she tucked her pencil into the notepad and put it into her purse.

"I believe I've taken enough of your time. Thank you for your cooperation. You too, Mr. Sato. Have a nice day," she said, before walking out through the door. The look Lin shot after her made it clear that her "cooperation" had been anything but willing.

Hiroshi turned back to Lin, smiling pleasantly. Being polite and amiable towards people was an acquired skill. He could be perfectly pleasant to individuals he thoroughly despised, whereas Chief Beifong he merely disliked.

"Well, then. I propose that we make it quick, Chief Beifong. I can't imagine you want to be here anymore than I do."

"You've made my job hard enough already, so yes."

* * *

She said nothing more while Hiroshi delivered the documents and signed where necessary. Soon enough, the prisoner was delivered to him, carrying his belongings with him. He was a small, unassuming man of Earth Kingdom descent, with receding hair and spectacles. All in all, not someone one would suspect of breaking up a fight between benders using a shock-glove. And yet, that was what he'd done.

Both men were silent as they left the prison. Xu turned to glance at Hiroshi, but it appeared he understood he shouldn't say anything. The businessman led his way in a different direction than the one he'd arrived from, weaving his way through the streets surrounding the prison complex. Finally, they reached a small fountain placed between two houses. Someone was waiting for them there – a woman of average height, with tanned skin and piercing green eyes. She wore the clothing of a common housewife, but it hid a muscular, taut warrior's frame. She had been sitting on the fountain with a bored expression, but got up when she saw the two approach.

"Way to go, brother!" she said, patting Xu on the back with enough force to make him almost drop his glasses. "That took some guts, taking down those waterbenders like that."

Xu laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Someone had to do something. They would've torn up the entire street before the police ever got there."

"Damn straight. You showed them. They'll think twice next time."

They both looked at Hiroshi, who didn't appear to share their enthusiasm.

"It was... impressive. But careless. We can't afford to use our weapons publicly like that. It'll only turn more people against us. Not to mention I can't keep bailing our members out."

The woman put her hands on her hips.

"Come on, Mr. Hiroshi. Are you telling us we're supposed to buckle down to the trumped-up laws against non-bending weapons?"

"I don't like them anymore than you do, Zia. And I'm going to continue supporting the Equalists with them. But we can't use them openly. And we need to pick our targets."

"Pick our targets?" Zia huffed. "Didn't you hear what he said? Didn't you hear what happened? Those waterbenders were out of control."

"Yes, yes. But it still got him arrested. We can't afford that. Our fight won't be served by escalation. We need to focus on the worst threats. The Triads, criminals, bullies. We no longer have the option of going against every bender that causes trouble."

"What do you mean, escalation? The benders have never been concerned about that. They've already got a leg up on that. Are we supposed to handicap ourselves even further?"

"It's not about... benders against non-benders," Hiroshi replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The politicians are trying to spin it this way. Create an 'us against them' mentality. We can't let it happen. If we do, they'll crush us."

"That sounds suspiciously like giving up," Zia said sourly. Xu was looking between his two leaders. He could see that their discussion was merely another step in a long, drawn-out argument.

"I wouldn't have built my company, or the Equalist movement, to be what they are if I didn't know how to step back and give ground sometimes," Hiroshi said sharply. "If you forget how to do it, you end up like Chin the Conqueror."

That particular simile seemed to get across to Zia. At least enough to make her drop the issue.

"Well, never mind. I'll get Xu to safety. You should wait here and then take a different way back."

Hiroshi nodded. Never too careful.

* * *

He was still a little distracted when he drove home. That might have been why he accidentally drove into a road he'd avoided for ten years.

There were small trees lining it now. To cut it off from the grassy area to both sides of it, maybe? Ten years had been enough time for them to grow a fair bit. He almost wouldn't have recognized the place thanks to them, but it did still stick in his memory. They also seem to have built a small park off to the right side. People would sit there on the grass before. Sit, drink and drunkenly earthbend.

Ten years had also been enough time to patch up the road. Hiroshi wasn't sure why he thought the hole in the road and pavement would still be there. He slowed down, subconsciously trying to make sure his car doesn't fall in again. Nothing happened, of course. The road took him straight ahead this time. But unlike last time, alone.

* * *

It was dark by the time Hiroshi returned home, but the lights were on. He drove into the garage and entered the house. He passed by some of his housekeepers, but his daughter was nowhere to be seen. Hiroshi decided to just make himself some tea in the kitchen. It might have seemed strange for a man of his wealth to do it himself, but Hiroshi prided himself on remembering his roots. When he was a simple mechanic, toiling away in a small, grimy workshop, he made his own food and drink.

When he approached, however, it became clear someone else was in the kitchen already. The smell of jasmine-scented green tea reached him. His heart lurched. It had been Yasuko's favourite tea. He hadn't smelled it for years. How did it end up back in his house? He never bought it, and instructed the house staff to do the same when shopping.

His question as answered when he opened the kitchen door and went through. His daughter, Asami, was pouring boiling water into a small teacup. There was a notebook filled with meticulous writing on the table next to her. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey, dad. I didn't expect you to be back yet."

Questions passed Hiroshi's mind, but he didn't voice them.

"Nor did I expect to see you here at this time. I thought you'd be away."

"Well, I was going to, but... I'm studying. And I came down here to make myself some tea and have a break. Jasmine tea relaxes me."

The scent had the opposite effect on Hiroshi. But if it worked for Asami, who was he to argue. He sat down at the table and glanced at the notebook.

"Water Tribe history?"

"Yeah." Asami sighed. "I've had my nose in it all day. Don't get me wrong, it's interesting. But I can't... remember it well enough to be tested on it."

Hiroshi smiled. She was so much like him this way.

"Staying home all day studying isn't something most teenagers would do. Even if they had trouble with the material," he said light-heartedly.

Asami glanced at him, not sure how serious he was.

"I take my future more seriously than most teenagers. Culture and history may not be what I want to focus on, but I need good grades all around, don't I?"

"Are you still set on a technical school, then?"

"I am. Engineering is the future, dad. I don't need to tell you that, of all people." Asami laughed. She then paused, and said uncertainly: "Did you... want some of that tea?"

Hiroshi sighed quietly.

"Thank you, Asami, but no. I'll make some for myself later. Will you be studying for the rest of the evening?"

"I think so. I have something I wanted to try out in the workshop, but that can work until tomorrow."

Her father got up, and stood for a moment, uncertain. Then he took a few steps towards his daughter.

"Asami... I'm proud of how diligent you are and how seriously you take your education. But future isn't just engineering. Future is also young people like you. And I really think you should spend more time with others of your age. So you can enjoy the future that I build, and you will one day build."

"I know, dad," Asami responded with a sigh. "I try. I'm just not very good at it. And there aren't that many people my age I can hang out with. You know how it is."

Hiroshi nodded. He did know that.

"Besides, there's something about the Water Tribe history I find really interesting," Asami said, suddenly. "How the Southern Water Tribe pulled itself upwards after the war. They did have help from the North, but... only so much it could do. And they weren't all that welcoming of it... they thought it was patronizing and put them in a subservient position. So they had to do a lot themselves. And they didn't have any waterbenders of their own, except for Katara."

"That's true," Hiroshi said, stroking his chin. "I'd never thought about it this way."

"In a way, they were just like you, dad. Building what they have from nothing."

It didn't stop the Southern Water Tribe councillor from pushing pro-bender agenda just like the rest of them, Hiroshi thought. The newest chief of the tribe was a waterbender as well, from what he'd heard. But he didn't share those thoughts with Asami.

They kept on talking about day-to-day matters for a while, before Asami went back to studying, leaving Hiroshi with his thoughts. Things weren't going great, he thought, but he still had a lot to be thankful for. He hoped he was doing what he should to preserve it.


	2. Chapter 2

A jet of water struck the wall with tremendous force. It left a crack in the cheap brickwork. The situation hadn't started well and it was getting worse quickly.

A broad-shouldered, broad-hipped woman with a long, black braid was cautiously leaning around the corner of the wall that had just been struck. She was abruptly forced to get back behind the wall when another water jet flew past her face.

"For the love of- I just wanted to ask you something!"

Ga Min's words didn't have the desired effect. The waterbender was clearly not interested in talking – instead, he bent a significant amount of water into a massive ice wall and took shelter behind it. Tanaruk had many enemies, and Ga Min was in too much of a hurry to approach him carefully – so he assumed she was one of them. And now there she was, having to beat an answer out of him.

The woman growled and examined her surroundings. She was hiding behind a brick wall. It was hard to call it good, or solid. The building was as decrepit as the rest of this small town. But she could bend it. She wasn't quite desperate enough to start tearing up buildings, however.

Instead, she drove her fingers into the dirt beneath her feet. She dug in and leaned back, lifting with her knees. A large block of soil, rock and brick parts came out. She heaved and threw it in a broad arc, aiming it to land on top of the waterbender.

Her opponent could see the heavy block coming, and bent part of his wall to intercept it. Which was just what the earthbender had been waiting for. She stomped her right foot and swept it to the right, sending a series of earthy spikes along the ground. They smashed into the icy wall, shattering it into pieces. The waterbender had to dive out of the boulder's way as his wall came undone.

While the scrawny man with an unhealthy complexion tried to get back to his feet, he felt the ground rise up and restrain him. When he looked up, he found himself staring right into the face of an angry, sweaty woman.

"Spirits, please don't kill me I'll tell you ev-"

"I only want to know one thing. Where is Dao?"

The waterbender blinked and stared up at his captor.

"Uh... you're not here about the money? Or-"

"I don't care about any money." Ga Min punctuated her words by having the rocks tighten around her captive. "Or any other shady business you've got going. I'm looking for a specific man, and I know you've dealt with him. Where. Is. He?"

"I... geez. If I'd known you were just looking for this guy, I'd-" He paused under the woman's stare. He shifted uneasily and went on. "He was here a few months ago, then moved on to Green Falls Harbour. What do you even want from him?"

Ga Min released him with a jerky motion of her hands.

"I met him once, long ago. Something happened that I need to talk to him about."

The waterbender got up, rubbing his arms and legs. He glanced at the earthbender, and understanding dawned on his face.

"Wait. He said... ten years ago, he was involved in that..."

He was answered by a cold stare.

"Yes. One of us killed Yasuko Sato, but I spent years in prison for it. I want to find out what really happened that day."

* * *

Two pairs of wheels scattered dirt from underneath them, sending it backwards and to the sides. It bounced against the screens shielding the spectators. They cheered loudly, encouraging both drivers to do their best.

The motorbikes made another lap around the racing track. Neither seemed able to gain more than a few inches of advantage over the other, at first. Then, however, one of the bikes, ridden by a tall and slender teenage girl, suddenly cut a very sharp curve that her opponent could not match. Engines roared as the race went on. It soon became apparent who the better biker is. The girl managed her bike with deft precision and fluid grace that left her opponent in the dust. No one was surprised when she reached the finish line of the last lap first.

She pumped her fist in the air triumphantly, and removed her helmet. It revealed long, black hair and a pale face with delicate makeup and striking green eyes. Most of the spectators on the benches – all of them people her age, or not much older – applauded. Others did not, shaking their heads instead.

"Another one for me," she said. "I told you I could do it."

Her opponent also removed their helmet. He turned out to be a heavy-set young man with pale brown skin and deep golden eyes. His black hair was cut short, except for a single braid falling down the side of his face.

"You did. I will say, Asami, I've never seen anything like that before. It's true what they say about you."

He was interrupted by the arrival of another young man, this one taller and pale, with hazelnut-coloured hair. He put an arm around the biker affectionately.

"Don't sell yourself short, Amaruq. Anyone can win on the kind of bike Asami Sato gets from her father's company."

"Min-Jun, dear, there's really no need-" Amaruq started, chidingly, but he was interrupted by Asami herself. She tossed her hair to the side and narrowed her eyes.

"Really? Why don't you try, Min-Jun? Let's swap bikes, and let's see if you can win this way."

Min-Jun laughed a little too loudly.

"You're on, Asami."

He seated himself in Asami's bike, while the girl went over to take his bike. As she adjusted the seat, she saw that Amaruq was saying something to his boyfriend, but he was too quiet for her to hear. Well, no business of hers, anyway. Min-Jun knew what he was getting into. Even if Amaruq didn't appreciate him defending his honour this way.

The two bikers took places at the starting line. Min-Jun glanced at Asami, but she kept her eyes firmly in front of her. A blast of fire from the hand of one of their fellow bikers signalled the start of the race.

The spectators yelled, hooted and shouted encouragement as the bikes went by them again, engines roaring. As soon as they could hear each other again, all the young people started discussing and arguing which of the bikers would win.

"Asami's got this one!" a short, boyish girl yelled, pumping her fist in the air. The bikers had just gone past them, Asami leading noticeably.

"Don't be so sure yet. She's just got an edge, that's all," argued a portly young man sitting behind her. He glanced at Amaruq, who was quiet and watched the track intently. The motorbikes sped past them again.

Min-Jun's supporters gave him another round of applause when he came out ahead of Asami in the next lap. But their cheer was short-lived, since the girl caught up with him once more. Everyone fell silent for once, watching the competition. The sound of both motors flowed together into one deep roar. The silence was broken when, in the second-to-last lap, Asami's bike took the lead.

"I don't know if Asami's bike really is better, but it sure doesn't seem to be helping Min-Jun," said the boyish girl who had cheered on her earlier. A girl sitting next to her, looking similar enough to be her twin sister, nodded.

"Even the best bike can't- spirits!"

The exclamation was caused by two jets of fire propelling Min-Jun's bike forward. Everyone stood up as he sped past Asami and towards the finish line... or not. Min-Jun tried to turn his bike, but it was in vain. He narrowly avoided ramming into one of the barriers, braking suddenly and sliding across the gravel. He almost fell off the bike, and staggered off the seat on shaky legs. Instead of finishing the race herself, Asami drove up to him and stopped.

"Are you okay?" she asked. None of this was worth getting hurt over.

"I... think so," the young man responded, his voice a little unfocused.

At that point, the spectators have caught up with them. Amaruq took off Min-Jun's helmet to make sure he was alright, and began to scold him. Asami waited for a few moments to pass, before saying:

"Using firebending really wasn't a very smart thing to do, you know."

"Some of us have rich fathers and others have firebending," Min-Jun grunted. "We use what we've got."

"Neither my dad nor your bending helped us just now. But I'm open to a rematch if you want... on our own bikes," she added, with a smirk.

"Oh, I don't think he'll be driving anywhere in the near future," Amaruq said, giving Min-Jun the kind of look only people in committed relationships can produce. Asami laughed.

"Should have known how to lose, Min-Jun," she said, half-jokingly. "Would have spared you some trouble."

* * *

Ga Min pushed her way through a large, bustling crowd. Green Falls Harbour was in the midst of some local festival or another. The streets were packed with revellers both local and visiting. Finding any one person among them was difficult at best – to say nothing of finding someone who might already be long gone.

She sat down heavily on the side of a fountain, watching the people pass by, without really seeing them. She wished she could bend open the earth and hide. She'd never been comfortable with crowds, and her stint in prison didn't help matters any. Dao didn't have that problem, she thought bitterly. He could be anywhere in that teeming mass. Cursing under her breath, she got up and started to walk again. Someone there had to know where that smarmy bastard was.

An hour later, she reached an impromptu stand with wine and meat on sticks. Most she had spoken to had never met Dao. Two people had met him, but hadn't seen him since. He must have left town soon after arriving. Now she had to pick up the trail again. As it had happened several times in her search, doubt crept its way into her head. It would be easy to just turn around and... do what?

She looked up from her food. The building in front of her was... a recruitment office for the United Forces. What was it doing there, out in the boondocks? She really had no idea, but she felt a surge of tired excitement building. Maybe Dao had been through there. He'd always been an ambitious sort. She could see him trying his luck in the army. It's not as if she had any other options.

The recruitment office seemed to be mostly empty, in contrast to the bustle outside. A few staff members milled about. Ga Min stopped in the doorway, trying to find someone she might ask about Dao. She stopped when she saw a tall, lanky man in a vest, collared shirt and suspended trousers. He was sitting in a rickety chair, bent over a thick ledger. Ga Min's mind raced. If Dao had been through the place, he must've left a paper trail.

" _Besides, the best way to get something done is to bother someone who is busy. They'll give you what you want so you leave them alone,"_ Ga Min thought.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for someone. A man named Dao," she said as she strode in the direction of the man with the ledger. She did not slow down or hesitate. At first, the man she approached sighed deeply, snapped the ledger close and drew in a breath in preparation for what she knew would be a curt rebuke. It all changed when he heard Dao's name. He stood up and looked straight at her. He had pale blue eyes that bore into her with unsettling focus. His hair was short – as if cut to fit under a helmet. The other distinguishing mark was a long, thin moustache. He sat down again, grimacing.

"I'm – sorry, but I can't help you."

Ga Min stepped forward. Her search had taken her from the door of the prison, through the seedy underbelly of Republic City and its most run-down outskirts. She had to fight, bribe and connive her way through. All because she needed to know what really happened that night. And here was someone who clearly knew something, but lied instead.

"Yes, you can. And you're going to. You recognized the name. I'm done being yanked around."

The man glared down at Ga Min. His moustache twitched as he grimaced. He seemed more angry at himself for the slip-up than at her for prying. Then he straightened up and assumed a formal, dry tone. All traces of his earlier surprise were gone. Or hidden.

"Ma'am, I am under no obligation to tell you anything," he responded. "I am a soldier in the United Forces, here on official business, and-"

"Official business, that's rich," Ga Min cut in. "You're sitting out here, poring over a book, like a schoolboy five minutes before a test. That tells me you're no more official than I am. You just had a better way in."

"That's a masterful deduction. You should write detective novels."

Ga Min's fists clenched and she took a few deep breaths. She lowered her head, then glared at the stubborn pencil-pusher's smug face. The corner of her mouth twitched, and then she stomped her foot to leave a crack in the floor.

"I did not wait ten years in prison to get sassed by a clerk!" she screamed, advancing and forcing the lanky man back. "I will find him if it's the last thing I do!"

A dead silence fell on the office, broken only by the book, falling out of the alleged soldier's hands and onto the floor. His right hand was under his vest, as if grasping something hidden there. What few people were present now stared at them both. The one she was confronting wasn't staring, though. His expression was thoughtful now.

"Lieutenant Kidlat, what is-" a woman in a private's uniform asked. So he was a lieutenant?

"Everything is under control," Kidlat assured her, before turning back to Ga Min. "Whatever business you have with Dao is no concern of mine. Will you leave, or keep trying to threaten a soldier in a military building? Do you miss prison so badly?"

Prison. No, whatever else Ga Min might have felt, the mention of going to prison again cut through it all. She backed away.

"Fine," she said. "I know enough. I can find him myself now."

She turned around and left without another word.

* * *

Hiroshi's vigilante group did not have consistent facilities for training and resupply. In order to stay behind the police's radar, they had to stay on the move and never remain in one place too long. The law enforcement of the city didn't consider the self-appointed defenders of non-benders a priority for dealing with yet. But that could change at any time. Therefore, they abandoned them every once in a while, rotating into new ones.

The currently used training area was located in a large, deep cellar. No one was quite sure what its original purpose was – but that evening, it was occupied by rows of training dummies, upon which a large group of people practiced their chosen fighting style. Some worked on dummies covered in marks that represented the pressure points of a human body – allowing them to practice the old, difficult art of chi-blocking. Others honed their skills with more pedestrian weapons, primarily Hiroshi's shock-gloves and bolas.

The chi-blocking exercise was led by Zia. Without her housewife disguise, her appearance was imposing in more ways than one. She wasn't overly tall, but her arms and legs were muscular, and she had the bearing of an experienced warrior. Her skin was tanned and she wore her black hair in a practical topknot. She had piercing green eyes and her face bore marks of violence and hard living – her nose had been broken at least once, and there was a large scar over her left eye. She delivered a series of lightning-fast jabs towards the arm of a training dummy, hitting every pressure point with surgical precision.

"Hitting those pressure points will completely disable firebending in this arm," she said to the assembled students. "At your level, you should focus on hitting at least a half of those points. You can't hope to hit all of them yet, not against a moving opponent. But blocking half will be enough to disrupt the bending. Against most firebenders, it's enough to throw them off-balance. Remember that different kinds of bending rely on different points. You need to stay on your toes."

"What if we meet the Avatar?" someone from the group asked. Zia responded with a glare at first.

"If that was a joke, it wasn't funny. If you find yourself facing the Avatar, her pressure points will be the least of your problems. Now get to work."

As her students obediently began to practice their forms and strikes, Zia's eyes wandered around the training facility. There were more students with shock-gloves and shock-rods here now. That was good, she supposed. Maybe it meant more non-benders realize what had to be done.

Her attention was caught by someone she hadn't seen before. A tall, lanky man with a wispy moustache and hair that was cut short on the sides but left to grow at the top. He was going through drills and forms of a pair of long wooden sticks. It was fairly impressive, she had to admit. Even in this environment, it was clear that he would be a match for most people in the room, if not for her. But there was something about it...

"I don't think those are standard issue for the United Forces," she said in a casual voice as she walked over.

"They're not," the man responded. "What gave me away?"

"You don't move like most of the people here. We need to train them from scratch, but you've clearly had training and seen some action."

"Not as much as I should have," he said drily. "Certainly not as much as a Kyoshi Warrior."

There was an awkward pause.

"That's one for one in guessing each other's backgrounds," Zia remarked. "I try not to spread it around, you know."

The man shrugged.

"It was a reasonable guess. Where else could you have learned to chi-block like you do? Only Ty Lee could have taught you that."

"And that's one reason. Sifu Ty Lee and I didn't part on very good terms. But you clearly know more about me than the other way around," the former Kyoshi Warrior said, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm sorry. My name is Kidlat. I've been an Equalist for a while, but... more of a sympathizer, until recently. As you guessed, I'm a soldier in the United Forces."

Zia tilted her head, scrutinizing him carefully.

"Can't say I've seen a soldier in our ranks before. Of course, I don't get to meet every Equalist."

"I know of a few other soldiers who at least sympathize with us. It's easy for a non-bender in the army to get frustrated."

Zia snorted.

"Right, let me guess. Everyone who's someone is a bender, they get all the promotions and all the real work. Non-benders are relegated to grunt work."

Kidlat pretended to give it some thought, before nodding solemnly.

"That's the long and short of it. Believe it or not, I'm actually a lieutenant. But you wouldn't know it, because they've kept me here for years. Doing paperwork and inspections, mostly. Because I'm a non-bender, so what could I possibly do in the field?" Kidlat's words came quickly, laden with years of resentment.

"You handled yourself well with those batons, though," Zia pointed out, waving her hand towards his weapons. He looked down on them.

"Those? They're the traditional weapons where I'm from. A small island, just on the edge of the United Republic. I train with them on my own time... the brass doesn't actually care a whole lot about my practical combat skills, you know. I can outfight most benders in my units, including my direct superior. But good luck getting them to care."

"Well, I beat up two Dai Li agents at a time to make my point, and no one was particularly impressed," Zia replied with a shrug. "So your chances of getting across aren't looking much better."

"Two Dai Li agents?" Kidlat asked. "Don't know about the people back in Ba Sing Se, but I am impressed."

Zia shrugged.

"Those creeps aren't very good in a fair fight. And they had no clue what do with a non-bender who can actually defend herself."

Kidlat chuckled.

"I'm surprised they answered your challenge at all."

Zia rubbed the back of her head, suddenly a little awkward.

"It wasn't a challenge, as such. Not a formal one. More of a spontaneous 'look what I can do' kind of thing."

"So you just decided to show off by beating up two Dai Li?" The soldier's voice carried an air of incredulity. Zia huffed.

"You weren't there. It was... insufferable. We were being constantly shuffled aside in their favour. They're willing to do things no Kyoshi Warrior would. Eventually we quit. But sifu Ty Lee didn't approve of my actions, so I went my own way. Came here, started teaching self-defence. Then chi-blocking was made illegal. And the Equalists were born."

"Oh, yes. You've been with them since the beginning, haven't you? You and Hiroshi Sato founded them."

"He did, mostly. Why do you ask?" Zia could tell Kidlat was getting somewhere with this.

"Straight to the point. There's someone I believe he should meet."

Zia peered intently at the soldier. It was clear to her he'd come to the training to speak to her about that. And yet, she could tell he was genuine when he spoke of what brought him into the Equalist ranks. So he deserved to be listened to.

"That someone being?"

"He calls himself Amon-"

"So, not using a real name, then," Zia said, cutting in. "That's not a good way to start your pitch."

Kidlat shrugged.

"Maybe so. But Amon has a plan. He sees what this group could be, and he wants Hiroshi Sato to see it as well."

There was a moment of silence.

"What does he see for our group?" Zia asked, suddenly tense.

"He sees the seed for a movement that can sweep aside the fossilized societal order. Do more than just carry out vigilante justice on the triads and bullies. The Equalists are a tip of the iceberg. Or rather, a mass of water, trickling slowly through a crack in a dam."

Zia looked about to say something, then stopped.

"I agree," she finally said. "But Mr. Hiroshi... does not. He doesn't want the group to become more than it is. He thinks it'd spark a war."

"And you don't?"

"Of course not," Zia says, waving her hands dismissively. "The benders won't like it, but we can't possibly start a war. We just need to put our foot down and make our demands known."

Kidlat smiled slightly under his moustache. Zia didn't notice that.

"I'm glad. Convincing Hiroshi Sato to this point of view is just what Amon wants."

"That's better. But you're still asking me to arrange a meeting between our leader and a man I know absolutely nothing about. How do I know you're not leading us into a trap?"

"I already know Hiroshi Sato is the leader and sponsor of the Equalists. Why would I waste my time on an elaborate scheme instead of reporting it and launching an investigation?"

"Fair point. I'm still going to have to ask you to tell me more about this Amon guy, though," Zia said, putting her hands on her hips and looking Kidlat in the eye.

"He's... mostly a mystery to me, as well. I met him some time ago. I was the one who introduced him to the movement. But he'd travelled far and wide before that, and seen many injustices done to us by benders. His mission is to end them."

Zia shook her head.

"That sounds great and all, but Mr. Hiroshi will be a lot less impressed than I am."

"If he's not willing to come, tell him we'll deliver Ga Min to him."

"What- how?"

Kidlat shrugged.

"Amon and I are resourceful people. And we know where she is, and what she's doing. You can tell Hiroshi Sato that we'll deliver his wife's murderer to him."


End file.
